


Velaris National Park

by runningwater



Series: Feysand Things [5]
Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Camping Fluff, F/M, only minor language later on
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:53:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23028862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/runningwater/pseuds/runningwater
Summary: Camping AU where Rhys and the gang are rangers at the park and Feyre and her sisters are there on a camping trip. Cute, fluffy fic that definitely turned out longer than I anticipated.Velaris National ParkTurn off 5 milesElain’s singing broke off mid-verse, a squeal replacing the lyrics as she pointed out the sign. I could only smile at her excitement; camping was never really our family’s thing, but her happiness was too infectious. At least I had managed to throw my sketchbook and watercolor pencils into my bag before she dragged me out the door.
Relationships: Elain Archeron/Azriel, Feyre Archeron/Rhysand, Nesta Archeron/Cassian
Series: Feysand Things [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1607200
Comments: 22
Kudos: 96





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please enjoy some cute camping fluff as spring starts to come to Texas. Mor and the Bat Bros work at the park and are rangers and the Archeron sisters are there for the bloom of Starfall flowers.

Green light filtered through the canopy, patches of gold peppering the road ahead. Rolled down windows allowed the late spring air weave through the car, carrying the scent of growing things and warmth to wrap around us.

Elain had some 2000s pop station pouring from the speakers, all of us belting out the familiar words to our audience of Mother Nature. Nesta had called shotgun at the beginning, leaving me to have the back seat to stretch out, propping my feet on the bag that held our borrowed tent.

It was May in Prythian, warm and good and green. I had just graduated from my master’s program in Art History, my whole future stretching out ahead of me. Elain had insisted we celebrate but all of us were in educational debt and couldn’t afford to fly anywhere. Ever the florist, she found a state park a few hours away that boasted the largest collection of wildflowers in the country, one especially that bloomed once every three years. And because Elain was always lucky, this year was one of the few that it blooms in full.

A few days after graduation, she managed to wrangle Nesta away from the publishing house and me away from my couch and stuffed us all into her 2005 Honda.

**Velaris National Park**

**Turn off 5 miles**

Elain’s singing broke off mid-verse, a squeal replacing the lyrics as she pointed out the sign. I could only smile at her excitement; camping was never really our family’s thing, but her happiness was too infectious. At least I had managed to throw my sketchbook and watercolor pencils into my bag before she dragged me out the door. It had been a while since I had done some wildlife sketching, there was not a lot of green space or biodiversity in the city.

She turned down the music while Nesta and I straightened in our seats, ready to hop out of the car and get blood flowing back into our legs.

Even Nesta who normally tolerated Elain’s antics had a ghost of a smile playing around her lips, the fresh air loosening her iron grip on her emotions.

Elain slowed the car, turning right before the massive stone wall that announced the entrance to the park, gravel crunching under the tires.

The rough road weaved with the terrain, up and down and curving around hills and patches of meadows that peaked through the trees. We even rumbled over a wooden bridge that spanned the banks of a sparkling stream, the water throwing shimmering rainbows into the air.

A low log cabin-like building greeted us, its small parking lot only holding a Jeep with the park logo on the side and another car.

Elain turned the car off and all of us popped our doors open, slightly stumbling as our legs reacclimated to moving. Small groans slipped out of our mouths as we stretched feeling back into our lower halves, taking in the new environment.

A small sign in the window informed us of the park’s office hours and the emergency phone line. Elain pushed in first, a petite _ding_ announcing our arrival.

The inside was a simple, square room, half the room stocked with souvenirs and anything campers may need in a pinch. A long, low counter ran along the back wall with an open doorway hinting at the back room. This was where a perky blonde emerged, greeting them with a bright smile. Her long hair was braided down her back, a forest green polo stamped with the logo somehow accented her curves instead of looking dorky and too stiff.

“Hi! Welcome to Velaris National Park. I’m Mor, what can I help y’all with today?”

“Hello! I’m Elain and these are my sisters Nesta and Feyre,” she gestured to each of us in turn, we all shook her hand, surprised to find it calloused and strong.

“How long do y’all plan on staying?”

“Two nights, please. And if you can point out on a map where the Starfall flower will be blooming?”

Mor laughed, a grin splitting her mouth. “I should’ve guessed, this is some of our busiest weeks of the year. Well, you’re in luck, we have only a few campsites left. Any preference to where?”

“None at all, we’re not too picky.”

“Perfect, how about y’all take site 20. It’s near the trailheads and not too far from the bathrooms.”

Elain turned to confirm with us, we each nodded back. Our lack of experience had us indifferent to where we camped, as long as it wasn’t out in the middle of nowhere.

Elain and Mor exchanged money and maps, paying for our spot and pointing out the major landmarks of the park.

“We do allow fires, as long as they’re in the designated fire pits. Please use the trash cans we have all along the park, anyone caught littering can be fined up to 200 dollars along with not being allowed to revisit the park. No glass or alcohol on park grounds. If y’all need anything, please don’t hesitate to call up to here the main office, and the numbers for our rangers are on the maps, along with the emergency line. Further into the park, cell service can get a little spotty, but as long as you stay near the trails, our rangers can spot you if you get into trouble. A little tip, don’t feed the wildlife, we have them on a diet,” she finished with a laugh and a wink. We laughed along with her, it was easy to feel a friendship forming with the bright woman.

“Well if that’s all y’all need, just keep following the road and you’ll see the signs pointing out the campsite. Parking gets a bit limited so try not to double park.”

We thanked her and headed out to pile back into the car.

As we were pulling out and getting back onto the road, I spotted one of the rangers on top of a horse.

The animal was tall, taller than any of the horses I had ever encountered before, and blacker than the deepest night sky. Its rider was sitting perfectly still, used to having to blend into the background.

I stifled a gasp. The ranger was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. I was too far away to see the color of his eyes, but they peeked through the leaves, boring into mine. His shoulders were broad, covered with a khaki shirt, he gripped the horse with powerful legs clad in dark green pants that were tucked into wore brown boots.

Our car soon turned a corner, breaking my gaze from his, banishing me of the spell he had cast.

More gorgeous forest passed us by, feeding my artist's mind with texture and light and color. Maybe this trip would replenish my weary mind after years of rigorous study. I loved every minute of my classes, but it left little free time for drawing and painting.

Wooden signs ticked up, eventually indicating where our sight was. Once again parking, we exited the car and took in the scenery.

We were to share a small common area with a few other campers, picnic tables and grills dotting the grassy area. Two cars were already parked there, brightly colored tents peeking out from the bushes that gave each sight a bit of privacy. Under a massive oak tree, there was a ring of rocks that held gray and black ashes from prior fires, stumps surrounding it for us to sit and enjoy the company.

I grabbed the tent from the backseat and slung my pack over my shoulder, leading the way to the small clearing that would be our home for the next few days. It was simply packed dirt, slightly raised from the rest of the ground so that if it rained, our tent would not get flooded.

I had never set up a tent before but with the instructions from the bag combined with the store owners’ tips, it was soon popped up in no time. Maybe only slightly leaning to the left but that would be a problem for later.

Nesta had pulled out our coolers of food, prepping sandwiches for a late lunch. Elain was already off in the surrounding area, making notes of the greenery and wildflowers that grew nearby. It was not the elusive Starfall but it did not take much for her to get wrapped up in flora.

Satisfied at my work, I tossed our bags into the tent and zipped it up. We could unpack after a bit of exploring.

Joining Nesta at the table, I swiped one of the completed sandwiches, ignoring her protest to wait for Elain. She was the one who refused to stop for lunch so she would just have to get the next one.

My fingers itched to start drawing the massive oak tree, its complex branches and multicolored leaves begging to be noticed and put onto paper. My stomach, however, told me it can wait.

Nesta somehow pulled Elain away from a blue flower, convincing her that it won’t disappear in the next 15 minutes.

“So, what’s first on the agenda, sis?” I asked her.

“Well it is getting a little late so I don’t want to go too far before it gets dark, but I thought we could start with one of the short trails!” Elain radiated energy, feeding off the teeming forest around us.

I smiled back at her, excited to start cataloging the world around us. We finished off the sandwiches and repacked the coolers into the car. One thing we all learned from watching TV was to not let wild animals get into a camper’s stash of food.

A quick trip into the tent had us changed into t-shirts, shorts and tennis shoes with light jackets tied to our waists. Even with Prythian warming up, the nights could still get a bit cool.

Elain consulted the map Mor gave us, confidently leading us to the first trailhead. It was only two miles long and would introduce us to the wildlife we could see in the park.

Every few hundred feet, plastic signs would pop up, listing fun facts about the park and giving an example of some of its inhabitants. Some would show a burst of color followed by the flower’s common name, scientific name and any medicinal or historical facts about it. Others would tell you how to spot an animal camouflaged in the surrounding foliage.

We all talked and joked with each other, with no tension that usually accompanied us when we got together. Nesta told us a story about an author that tried to sneak in her friends’ manuscript that turned out to be an awful rendition of Twilight and Fifty Shades of Grey. By the end, all of us were in stitches and barely able to walk, clinging onto tree trunks and each other in an attempt to stay upright.

Just as the sky was glowing orange and pink, the trail delivered us back to the beginning of the campsites, all we had to do was follow the gravel road back to ours.

The smell of meat and potatoes set our stomachs growling, the sandwiches from earlier long gone from the hike and laughter.

The other campers that were out earlier had returned.

“Howdy!” one of the men shouted at us waving his arm. He looked to be in his late fifties with combed back salt and pepper hair, sporting cargo pants and a navy long sleeve to ward off any wayward cool breezes.

We all gave back nervous smiles, unsure of who our neighbors were.

“Kevin,” a voice scolded, “you can’t just yell at unsuspecting young girls.” The source of the admonishment appeared from the bushes.

“Sorry about my husband, he’s just excited to have more company,” a man apologized. He also looked to be in his fifties, a bit shorter than Mike but leaner. Dark brown skin was covered in matching cargo pants, but a faded Prythian U sweatshirt covered his torso.

“I’m Raymond, this is our third night at the park.”

We tried not to look too relieved as we shook his hand. All of us had experience taking care of ourselves but we were in the middle of a national park with the other nearest humans about 50 yards down the road.

Kevin looked appropriately sheepish as he came to greet us. “Sorry about that, I _am_ excited to have more company. The couple that’s over there just keeps glaring at us and avoids us like the plague.” His words were playful enough but there was a deeper sadness buried in his eyes as if he was used to this sort of treatment.

“Well it’s awesome to meet you,” Elain gushed, ever the social butterfly. “I’m Elain and these are my sisters, Nesta and Feyre. We’re here in celebration of Feyre graduating!”

“Congratulations! Where from?” Raymond asked.

“Well you’re actually wearing my college right now,” I replied with a smile. There were tons of people who went to Pryth U but it was always fun to meet someone who graduated there in the past.

I fell into conversation with Ray, who insisted on using the shorter version of his name about the campus and how much it has changed from when he was there. He was an engineering major but still asked me a million questions about the art history department and why I wanted to get my masters there. Elain roped Kevin into a debate about botany and the best soil for growing tulips in. It sounded like he was also in the flower business and was here to see the blooming of Starfalls.

Nesta was never one to make easy friends and opted to start our dinner, taking over the grill next to Kevin’s. Tonight was burgers with potato chips and then s’mores for dessert that would be roasted over the campfire.

Dinner was full of lively conversation under the night sky. We were far enough away from the city’s light pollution that we were able to make out constellations that we had only read about and see the dusting of galaxies that spanned the sky.

“And that’s when the professor realized he had designed a system that looked exactly like a dick!” We burst out laughing at the end of Ray’s story from his time in college, even Nesta couldn’t keep her giggles contained at the raunchy tale.

Our cheeks were rosy from the fire that crackled happily before us, the smell of burnt marshmallow filling the air. As perfect as Nesta was at everything, it took her a few tries to get the timing and distance right for roasting.

“Sounds like I missed a hell of a tale,” the new midnight voice sent shivers down my spine.

“Ah! Rhys! I was wondering when you would show up,” Kevin greeted the newcomer. “Where are Cas and Az?”

The figure stepped into the ring of light and perched on an open stump beside Feyre. I forced myself not to freeze and stare at him. It was the same man I saw on top of the horse.

Closer up I could see how his dark hair shone blue in the firelight, no longer hidden beneath the Mountie hat he wore earlier.

He shifted his body to angle slightly towards me, catching my eyes with his. They were so blue they seemed to be an impossible violet, sparking with hidden laughter at an inside joke. “They’re right behind me,” he said without breaking eye contact with me.

I forced my eyes to drop to the page I was intermittently sketching on. I was lucky that I had started a new outline of the stream we passed on the way in instead of still having the sketch of him on his horse open. Hopefully the blush that was already on my cheeks hid the new blood that was rushing there.

“What was all that laughing about? I hope someone was making fun of Rhys,” another male voice called out as he came into view. He was tall and even more well-muscled than the man beside me but had his dark hair pulled into a low bun on the nape of his neck and his eyes glowed amber.

Rhys broke his stare at me to twist to the man, “No, I was telling them about the time you got stuck in what you thought was quicksand but turned out to be just a massive mud pit,” he shot back. The group laughed at the retort, including me while trying to shake off my embarrassment.

He pouted at the memory, “Aw com’on, you promised you would stop bringing that up.”

“Never in your dreams, brother.”

“Cas, come sit by me and have a s’more, I’m sure you thought you were right at the time,” Kevin teased, offering a marshmallow already speared on a stick. Cas threw one more sulky look at Rhys and walked over to where Kevin and Nesta were sitting. Nesta sized up the addition, bracing herself for interaction.

Cas saw her reaction, immediately forgetting his brother’s teasing. There was a new opponent to spare with. He aimed a feral grin at her, spurring her to narrow her eyes at his assessment.

A final figure, presumably Az, emerged from the dark, almost as if melting from it. He nodded a polite greeting to the group opting to stand near Ray and Elain. It took no time at all for her sister to draw him into a conversation about what all she can see at the park and if she was allowed to take any wildflower clippings home to preserve.

I turned back to my book, darkening the path the water took over, around and through the stones on the creek bed. The weight of Rhys’s gaze settled over me, making me tighten my grip on the pencil.

“You’re a good artist,” he remarked.

I smiled slightly in his direction. “I would hope so, I staked most of my career on it.”

“You do this professionally?”

“Well, I hope so someday,” I admitted, “I just graduated with a master’s in art history.”

“Really? Congrats. What’s next for you?”

He finally succeeded in pulling me away from the drawing, meeting his gaze again, looking for any sign of mockery at my chosen path. Most heard the words “art history” and assumed I would become a starving artist or elementary art school teacher.

There was no trace of judgment in his face, only open curiosity.

“In my dreams, I would open up my own studio, maybe a few galleries. For now, I’ve applied to a few museums as a curator and I have an interview with one of them next week.”

“I hope it goes well, anyone who can draw that well must know a thing or two about Picasso.”

I barked a laugh at his statement, “I can’t even begin to tell you how wrong you are,” giggling my way through the sentence. “You won’t believe the number of students I met who couldn’t tell the difference between Picasso and their own ass.”

His eyes flashed with surprise, followed by laughter rich and clear as a bell spilling from his mouth. “I can believe it, I’ve met my fair share of idiots in this world.”

“I bet, being a park ranger must set you up for a whole slew of idiots who watched one episode of Bear Grylls and thinks they can survive out here with nothing more than their wits.”

His face jokingly darkened, “Do. Not. Get. Me. Started.”

“Please, start,” my sketch was now long forgotten, pulled into his expressive voice and body. He wove the tale of a couple that thought they could go all Naked and Afraid only 20 feet off the trail, managing to get as far as cutting down a few trees to start a shelter before another camper contacted them and they were able to stop them from scarring any more people.

My cheeks hurt from the constant smiling and laughter, unable to stop myself from leaning closer to catch every detail.

By the end of his story, our knees were brushing each other every few seconds, both of us catching our breath. He paused at the end, taking the small bubble we had trapped ourselves in.

His eyes dipped to brush my lips before meeting mine again. My breath caught in my throat at the intensity of his gaze, heat blooming across my cheeks and down my neck. Our shared air was sweet with chocolate and heavy with anticipation…

A hiss startled us apart.

Across the fire, Nesta looked to be about two seconds away from slapping Cas, fury twisting her face into a knot. Cas looked like he was the cat that got the cream, lazily reclining against the stump, looking up into her wrathful face.

“And that’s our queue,” Rhys muttered under his breath. “It was wonderful to talk with you. I’ll see you around the park.”

I blinked a few times, mentally shaking myself out of the trance he put me in. “Uh, yeah sure, see you around.”

“Cas, Az,” his voice was sharp, “We need to go to the next campsite. Thank you for the s’mores and have a good evening everyone.” He pulled his brothers away, retreating into the dark. From the blackness came the sound of a sharp slap and angry words being whispered.

Everyone exchanged awkward looks at their departure. Nesta was still fuming, glaring at the direction they disappeared in. Feyre and Elain knew better that the question her on what Cas said, knowing it would only infuriate her more.

“It’s been a long day, and we have a lot of hiking tomorrow,” I broke through the tension, “I’m off to bed.” Elain and Nesta got up to join me, bidding Kevin and Raymond good night and that they’ll see them for breakfast.

Elain and I exchanged worried looks behind Nesta’s back, but it would be better to let her sleep it off. She was quick to anger but given time, could squash it back down.

We all climbed into the tent, leaving our shoes by the door. It was colder away from the fire, so we didn’t waste time layering on warmer clothes and crawling into our respective sleeping bags.

I fell asleep with purple eyes burning behind my eyelids, chasing me through my fitful dreams.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, quarantine finally got me writing so enjoy chapter 2!

The next day dawned clear and crisp. Birdsong twirled through the air, weaving through the leaves that blew in the breeze.

I stretched, groaning softly from the night on the sleeping pad. My bag kept me warm enough throughout the night, but the thin pad did little to cushion against the dirt.

Elain was sprawled, taking up half the tent forcing Nesta and me to the sides. Her mouth was slightly ajar, small, whistling snores escaping her. Nesta was already awake and scrolling through her phone.

I groped above my head for mine, the screen flashing just past 7:30. Only a few notifications from my uni friends congratulating me on graduation and a good morning Snapchat from Alis. After firing off a few responses, I pulled my bag towards me to sort out clothes for the day.

I settled on hiking shorts, an old painting shirt, and my worn Prythian U sweatshirt to keep out the morning chill.

“Want me to get breakfast started?” I asked Nesta. She only grunted a confirmation; it was useless to try to get a word out of her before coffee.

I unzipped the tent, the slight amount of dew that had collected on it slid down in a few drops. The prejudiced neighbors that refused to socialize with the rest of us seemed determined to finish their breakfast in record time.

“Good morning!” Ray greeted, raising his cup to me. “Kevin is still asleep but I’m sure I’ll be able to rack his ass out of bed soon.”

I chuckled, “I’m sure you will. I’m going to grab our breakfast stuff, mind if I join you?”

“Of course! I’ve got a grill warmed up already.”

Smiling, I turned to our car, which thankfully survived any curious animals, and grabbed our cooler.

Ray gestured for me to use the pan that was already hot and in no time, the smell of frying bacon filled the air. I got a pot started to boil water for coffee.

“How did you sleep?” he asked, his eyes twinkled over the edge of his mug as if he knew that the ground was more unforgiving than it looked.

I groaned and twisted my torso, popping my spine, “I’d say my back is forever ruined but years of hunching over easels and desks already did that.”

“Very true, I remember my days of late nights spent in the library and not being able to stand up straight the next day.”

I grinned at Ray, “Now that is one thing that all majors can agree on.”

The water was finally boiling so I poured some in a mug and dropping in a bag of coffee to start steeping. I walked over and tapped on the tent frame, “Nesta, Elain, coffee, and bacon is ready.”

Elain burst of the tent, stumbling and blinking in the early morning light. She was still in her PJs but had managed to add a hoodie and her hair up in a messy bun.

“Bacon?” she mumbled. I pointed over to the picnic benches where Ray was barely holding in a laugh at her disarrayed sister. Nesta followed more gracefully, already dressed for the day and her hair in a tight ponytail.

“I have a cup of coffee ready for you on the table,” I added to her. Her only response was to beeline to the cup and wrap her hands around it, inhaling the fragrant fumes.

I followed and poured more hot water into mugs, setting tea bags in for Elain and me. The rest of the water got a healthy dumping of oats, brown sugar and dried berries to complete our hot breakfast.

We made small talk with Ray as we all woke up and Kevin eventually joined us. He gave Ray a peck on the lips in greeting and plopped down beside him to start inhaling his own coffee and food.

“What’s on the agenda today girls?” Kevin asked once all of us were thoroughly alert. The cold-shouldered neighbors had already left and packed up their car. It looked like we wouldn’t have to deal with them anymore.

Elain spoke up first, “We’re going to hike to see the Starfalls! Mor from the front office already pointed out the best field.”

“I’ll be taking my sketchbook and watercolor pencils with me to draw them,” I chimed in before Kevin and Elain could go off on a botany tangent.

“I saw a nice stream with some fallen logs on the banks on our hike yesterday. I think I’m going to head there and do some writing,” Nesta finished off.

“And for you guys?” I asked.

“I’d like to join Elain if that’s okay?” Kevin said, looking to her for permission. Those two would keep each other busy for hours with flower and plant discussion.

Elain currently had a mouthful of bacon but nodded vigorously, excited to be able to share her passion with another enthusiast.

Ray contemplated the question, “I think I’m going to go to the head office and chat with Mor about designing a new dam for one of the streams. I think I may be able to convince her to make a natural swimming hole.”

Ever the engineer it seemed, we all thought with shared smiles.

Breakfast was over too soon and cleaned up quickly after. We all parted ways to start our adventures in the park. We agreed to meet for dinner later to share our days.

I let Elain and Kevin lead the way to the field, the two going back and forth over the merits of some root plant. I preferred to catalog the surrounding forest, wondering how I could pattern the shadow of the leaves on the carpeted floor.

And maybe look for a certain ranger hidden in the foliage.

I shook my head to clear it, trying to refocus on my surroundings. Every shade of green seemed to exist in this place. The leaves, the moss, the ferns. Trees were covered with vines and flowers, algae-covered stones surrounded the creek beds. Birds flitted through the canopy on their daily tasks of living free.

After an hour of hiking, the world began to brighten with pure sunlight, we had come to the end of the trail and to the edge of the meadow.

Elain and Kevin had already gotten down on their hands and knees, babblings almost incoherently about the elusive flower they had come so far for that now stretched far and wide.

I let out a gasp. The Starfall was the purest white I had ever seen in nature; veins of almost metallic purple ran through the petals with spots of gold weaving between them. It was like a star had gone supernova and a god had captured it in this flower.

My fingers fumbled with the latches on my bag in the rush to bring out my pad. The world was forgotten as my pencils flew across the pages, capturing every curve and color.

Elain and Kevin wandered further into the field, which stretched out up and over a hill. I wasn’t able to follow them until I had filled at least five pages with sketches of the flowers.

When I was able to tear myself away from the beauty before me, I started to climb the hill. The view at the top took away what was left of my breath.

Blue-gray mountains climbed towards the sky where clouds had to bow to them to make their way across the sky. More green forests flowed towards them before thinning out on their slopes. A river cut through the scene, throwing off rainbows so it looked like the whole surfaces was more colorful than any pallet I could ever mix.

The other two had made their way partly down the hill, stopping here and there to make more observations. Elain turned around and waved, gesturing for me to rejoin them.

“I’ll stay up here! You two go on!” I shouted down to them. The scene in front of me demanded my immediate attention.

About twenty yards to my right there was an outcropping of boulders that would give me the perfect vantage point of the valley.

The rocks were already warming in the late morning sun and curved perfectly to fit my body. My sketchpad was once again in my hands, fervently bringing the day to life on the paper.

Hours or minutes could have passed by and I wouldn’t have known if not for the sun making its way across the sky.

The only thing that was able to break me out of my trance was the solid thumping of hooves on the ground behind me. The reverberations of them made their way through the boulders and into my body.

I paused; the butterflies that were flitting through the flowers suddenly found a new home in my stomach. A low, bracing breath was all that could comfort me as a smooth voice cut through the day.

“Gorgeous, is it?” Rhys asked.

I peered up at him. He was wearing the same uniform as last night, only with his hat now completing the ensemble. His horse was barely out of breath despite the fast stride it just came out of.

“Yes,” I finally managed to answer. Hopefully, he took my pause as admiration of the scene.

Rhys slid off of his mount and hooked a stirrup through the reins. He patted the horse and walked over to me.

“Is it okay if I take a seat?”

“Of course,” I moved my bag to the ground so that he could join me. I managed to find my thoughts again and asked, “Will your ride not leave you here?”

“I think if she did, I would be in good enough company that I would not mind,” he said with a smile in my direction.

A harsh blush betrayed me, and I turned my eyes back to my drawing.

“Mona knows better than to wander too far,” he amended, “She likes sugar cubes too much to leave me.”

I released a chuckle, some of the butterflies went with it. We sat in silence for a few minutes, the day too perfect to interrupt with meaningless chatter.

I continued to outline the curve of the river, erasing the lines a few times because my hand was still shaky with the nerves her caused me. If Rhys noticed, he gracefully didn’t comment.

“Did you like seeing the Starfalls?” he broke the silence but didn’t take his eyes away from the valley.

“They are…. beyond words for me. I’m an artist, not a poet. Anything I say couldn’t do them justice.”

“I felt the same way when I first saw them. I can’t draw or write, but I can sit and appreciate them,” he agreed, his deep voice rumbling and somehow perfectly complementing her thoughts.

My hand finally steadied enough to capture the river and I moved on to try to convey all of its colors.

“That drawing is already perfect, and you’re not even done yet, it’s amazing.”

“Thank you,” I nearly stammered, caught off guard by his praise. _I need to get a hold of myself before I become a complete fool in front of him._ “I can’t seem to stop drawing here.” I flipped through the pages, showing him my other sketches of the flowers and forest.

As fate would seem to hate me, I accidentally stopped on the page that had a rendering of him on his horse when I first entered the park. It was borderline messy and almost abstract but there was no mistaking the violet-blue eyes that pierced through green leaves.

“Ah,” he let slip out, “I bet I can guess who that is.”  
I refused to meet his gaze and quickly flipped back to my current drawing, hoping that he would let it go.

“I just realized I never got your name,” he commented, “I’m Rhysand, but my friends all call me Rhys.” He offered his hand across what little space separated us.

I tucked my pencil behind my ear and clasped his hand. It was warm and rough with calluses.

“Feyre,” I replied, meeting his eyes with my own. Up close and in the daylight, I could see that they were a dark blue-black around the rims that lightened into a purple near the pupil. There were what looked to be silver flecks in them, making them glow like a night sky.

Too late I realized I was staring, and a new blush stained my cheeks. My gaze returned to the page and I fiddled with the pencil behind my ear.

“Feyre,” he said, his slight accent gently rolling the ‘r’, making my name sound much sexier than it is. “I like it.”

“Thanks,” I mumbled. It seemed like the gods were determined to stop all rational thought when I was around this man. At least he had the good grace to be polite and ignore my idiocracy.

We continued to enjoy the warm sun that played hide-and-seek behind the clouds. I started up my sketch again, trading out pencils constantly to color the drawing. He seemed content to just watch the river go by. I guess as a park ranger, you have to be able to entertain yourself with your surroundings. It honestly didn’t sound too bad to me.

“Feyre, can I ask you a question?”

I hummed yes in response, the gray of the mountain currently absorbing my attention. Had I not been so caught up in my drawing, I would have seen the uncertain expression that crossed Rhys’s face.

“I was wondering if you—,” a rumble of thunder interrupted his sentence.

I whipped my head up and around, looking for the source of the disturbance. Clouds had begun to gather behind us, out of sight where they were able to sneak up.

Great big masses of grey that quickly overtook the sun and dimmed the day. Lightning flickered not too far in the distance, followed by more thunder that echoed in my chest.

“Shit, shit, shit,” I cursed and began to throw all my supplies into my backpack. The wind picked up and nearly threatened to tear the paper out of my book.

I managed to shove it into my bag and latch it closed. Rhys looked alarmed at my actions.

“Feyre? Are you afraid of thunderstorms?”

“No, I love them actually, but my bag isn’t waterproof and I can’t lose all my work.”

His eyes widened at the information and set his mouth in a grim line.

“Come on,” he grasped my hand in his and pulled me towards Mona who had returned to her master at the sign of rain.

“I’ll take you to the front office so you can save it.”

“What? Me? On a horse? I’m not sure—.”

“It’ll be okay, I won’t let you fall.”

I scanned the incoming cloud and looked down at my backpack. I couldn’t bear to lose all my work but the thought of being on the massive creature had me hesitating.

“What about Elain and Kevin? Will they be alright?”

Rhys’s face softened at my worry. “I’ll radio Az and see if he can get them under cover. If they stick to the trail, they should be safe. Storms out here don’t last too long and just dump a bunch of rain on us.”

His reassurance dashed away my last excuse. “Okay, how do we do this.”

He smiled, “I’ll have you ride behind me, it will be a tight fit but I think you can fit on the back of the saddle. You’ll have to hold on tight,” he instructed with a humorous glint in his eyes.

My stomach did interesting flips in response and I had to remind myself that this was _not_ the time to be thinking about anything but saving my sketchpad.

I slung my bag across my back and secured it best I could.

Rhys hopped into the saddle first and left the stirrup closest to me open.

“Grab my hand and use the boulder as a stepping stool. Put your foot in the stirrup and swing your other leg over.”

I did as he instructed and soon I was situated behind him. It was a tight fit, but I was mostly able to squeeze onto the saddle. Rhys inserted his foot back into the stirrup.

“Hook your legs around mine the best you can and wrap your arms around me tight. We’re going to canter back to the office.”

I gulped and tried to tamp down my fears. The last time I had ridden a horse was at a petting zoo when I was 7 and the pony had barely wanted to move.

“Mona has a very smooth stride so it will be okay. Just try to move with my body,” he said, the tips of his ears turning red at this insinuation. At least I wasn’t the only one who could make a fool of themselves.

“Ready?”

“Yes,” I breathed into his ear, sending a small shiver down his spine. I could get used to this.

“Let’s go, Mona.”

The thunder was barely audible through the pounding of her hooves. Rhys was right that her gait was very smooth, once I fell into a rhythm, it was easy to relax a bit and enjoy the ride. The smell of the green forest wrapped around us, wind brushed our cheeks. We followed the wide trail, which only had gentle curves and no roots to slow us down.

Thunder sounded again; this time easily audible over the din of hooves. A drop of water splashed my nose, breaking through the canopy.

“We’re almost there!” Rhys shouted over his shoulder. I pressed against him harder.

We burst through the growth into the front parking lot as the sky began to open up.

What had taken me an hour to hike had only taken Mona 10 minutes to cover. I hoped Rhys would give her extra sugar cubes for saving my sketchpad.

I slung my leg over and dropped to the ground, my knees slightly giving out from the stiff position they had to hold. Just as the downpour began, I got myself under the cover of the awning, saving my backpack and its contents.

Rhys had dismounted too and tied Mona to the front railing. Water dripped off his hat as he came to stand before me. He removed it and ran a hand through his hair, further messing up the wild blown locks.

“Mission accomplished?” he asked.

“Yes,” I showed him my bag that had only a few spatters of water on it.

“Good.”

We stayed there, breathing a bit heavily through the rush of adrenaline that was fading from our systems.

“Thank you, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to say that enough for saving my art.”

A grin split his mouth, the dark spark lighting up his eyes again. “It was my pleasure, Feyre darling,” he nearly purred, his eyes resting on my lips before returning to mine.

For the millionth time that day, a blush spread across my cheeks. I was starting to get tired of my body betraying me to a man I had just met and had no reason to believe he would think the same as me.

“And I know just the way you could say thank you.”

My breath caught in my throat, thoughts spinning through my mind, each dirtier than the rest. My tongue flicked out to wet my lips, his attention caught on it and stay there until he was able to refocus.

He broke his stare, looking out into the rain, an almost embarrassed expression rested on his face, a blush of his own highlighting his cheekbones.

“Would you like to go stargazing with me tonight? The rain and clouds will clear up for a perfect night and you’ll get to ride Mona again and I know the best spot in the park,” he started to ramble. “You don’t have to stay yes, I mean we just met but I thought—.”

“Yes, I would love to,” I saved him from his train of thought, holding back a giggle at his cute display.

A look of surprise followed by excitement flashed across his features. “Wonderful, I’ll pick you up after dinner?”

“Perfect.”

“Well, I’ll see you then, Feyre darling.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How is everyone doing by the way? My college moved all the classes online and basically canceled graduation. It's been hard to handle and adjust but I'm grateful to have my friends and family stay safe.
> 
> Comments, critiques, and requests are welcome!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter goes out to BlackLotusNidan, who’s birthday was today and they have been working hard in the healthcare business to keep us safe from the virus. Here’s to you, hon!

Rhys left to check on the other campers in the park to make sure everyone was okay and there was no damage. The downpour continued but if he was right, it shouldn’t last too long.

I watched him ride off into the park and simply enjoyed the sounds of the rain for a few minutes.

I turned and pushed my way into the office, the small bell letting off a _ring_ , announcing my entrance. It seemed like other people had the idea of seeking shelter with Mor. The was a handful of others milling around, chatting with each other in quiet tones or looking at the gift shop. Ray was there, deep in conversation with a short woman that had her straight, black hair cut in a severe bob, probably discussing new ways to improve the park. Mor was behind the counter in conversation with what looked to be the mom of a family.

I wandered over and gave her a smile in hello, not wanting to interrupt them, in which Mor returned.

I pulled out my sketchpad to check if there really was no damage. The water that had splattered on the pack hadn’t seeped through and my book and pencil case were completely dry. A small smile crossed my face, my mind mulling over the events of the last half hour.

Flipping to the drawing of Rhys on top of Mona, I deepened the color of his eyes and added more shadows to the background, sharply contrasting the images. I absently continued working on the sketch, thinking back on how close we were.

Even though it was a warm day, I could feel the heat radiating off of him when he joined me on the rocks. He was so easy to be around, I felt no pressure to hide my work like I did when I was dating Tamlin when I was an undergrad. He would get so possessive and jealous if I did a character study of someone other than him. My work (and my mental health) suffered from it and eventually, it became too much to bear. Breaking it off with him was the most gratifying experience.

But with Rhys…. He had nothing to offer but praise, even if he had seen only a small sample of what I can do. His praise felt genuine, like there were no strings attached. As if he would have said the same thing if it was hanging in a gallery.

And then there was the ride to the office. The surge of adrenaline wasn’t just from racing through the forest at breakneck speeds. There was no inch of space between our bodies. Even with the wind whipping around us, I could still smell him, like citrus and jasmine and something wilder. Like his time outdoors had become a part of him.

He was so solid. Yes, because I was holding onto him, I could feel the steel bands of muscles shifting in time with the beat of the horse, but his presence was steady, secure. The world could have faded away around us and I wouldn’t have noticed.

“That looks like my cousin.”

The words broke my internal monologue, causing me to jump slightly and ears to redden with the embarrassment of being caught.

I looked up to see Mor had finished her conversation with the mom and decided to see what I was so enraptured with.

“I… uh..,” I cursed myself inwardly for not being able to respond, my head still too wrapped up with thoughts of him instead.

Mor had a dangerous glint in her eyes, like she knew exactly what I had been thinking about. She started with a feline grin at my flustered state which soon morphed into full-blown laughter that caught the attention of everyone in the room.

My ear burned even more with everyone’s attention on us. “Mor,” I hissed through my teeth.

She clamped her lips closed, her chest still shaking with contained giggles. Thankfully, the attention melted away as everyone went back to talking or browsing.

Even though I had only one conversation with her, I shot her a glare that I couldn’t hold before a small smile played on my lips and I looked back down to my drawing.

I let out a sigh, “Yes, that’s your cousin. I saw him after we left the office yesterday.”

“So you saw him only yesterday?” she smirked with a raised eyebrow.

“And last night and just now,” I muttered, defeated.

“Mhm,” she hummed with a nod, triumphant at my admittance. “Every girl that has come to this park has noticed my cousin.”

“Great, add me onto the adoring fans.”

“Honestly, I don’t know what they see in him, he’s a giant dork.”

I laughed at that, the color starting to fade from my ears and cheeks, it was nice to know that I wasn’t the first, and probably not the last, to gawk at him.

“Yeah, well he’s a dork who saved me from the rain. My backpack isn’t waterproof, and I was worried that I wouldn’t make it back in time to save my sketchbook.”

“Oh really. Well, that sounds like my stupidly, chivalrous cousin,” she confirmed.

“Fucking phenomenal,” my embarrassment morphing to anger. Mor saw my change in emotion and knit her eyebrows together in question. I glanced at her and then away to bore my eyes into my sketch. _Of course_ it was too good to be true, his quiet and helpful attitude was just a front to get me alone and probably try to get into my pants. _Stupid, stupid, stupid_ agreeing to go somewhere in a big park with a guy I barely know at night.

“Your ‘stupidly, chivalrous cousin’ said that I could say ‘thank you’” putting air quotes around the words, “by going stargazing with him tonight, which was probably just codeword for blowjob,” I finished, gritting my teeth to stop myself from yelling the words.

He probably does this with any girl that comes into the park, performs a good deed for her and then tries to get payment in kind.

“What? Feyre, no, no, no,” Mor hastily said, trying to calm me down from my inner and outer rant. “He _is_ stupidly chivalrous, but he has _literally_ never asked any girl to go stargazing with him, or anywhere else.” She blew out a breath and muttered a prayer to the Caldron under her breath.

“Ok, I’m only going to tell you this because I think you’re a good person who would be good for Rhys and my cousin is a little dumb sometimes so here it goes.

“In college, Rhys was this sweet, kind, naïve boy who thought the best in everyone. A TA in one of his classes saw that and took advantage of it. She knew our family had money and influence and thought she could use it to further her academic career. A lot of ugly shit went down but he was forced to mature too fast and he hasn’t dated anyone since. It’s a little hard since he’s out here a lot but if someone had come along, he would have figured out a way to date her. But he hasn’t. With _anyone_ ,” she emphasized that last word, willing me to understand.

I released a slow breath, cooling down from my jump to conclusions. I met Mor’s golden brown gaze and almost flinched with the raw honesty I saw there. She was telling the truth. This wasn’t some dumb, masculine play to get some action. This was a risk he was taking with me.

“Ok,” I said with a nod, “I shouldn’t have assumed so fast.”

“It’s ok, you didn’t know. Hell, if a guy had done that to me, I would’ve kicked him in the balls right on the spot. I’m glad you didn’t though,” she finished with a laugh. It was so infectious I couldn’t help but join in.

I turned my eyes back to the drawing, I had been so angry I was ready to rip it out of the book and tear it to pieces but that would have been a big fucking mistake.

At that moment, the rain started to slow and then die off. Just as quickly as it had come, it was over and the sun was starting to peak out again.

Other campers saw the change and began to file out, back to their tents or to resume the hike they were on. I hope Elain and Kevin were ok and didn’t get too wet.

“Thank you, Mor,” I turned back to her, “I’m going to go make sure we didn’t lose anything at the campsite.”

“Of course, Feyre. Have fun tonight,” she said with a devilish wink and smile. I shook my head at her and exited the building.

By the time I was back at the campsite, the sun was out in full force, scaring away the offending clouds. Rhys was right, it was looking to be a clear night.

Our tent had survived the downpour, just covered with a few scattered leaves from the wind, all of our stuff was still dry inside.

It was getting to be late afternoon at this point, the others should be returning soon. I had forgotten all about my sandwich and chips I had packed for lunch and it was too close to dinner time to eat them.

I ducked into the tent and sorted through the clothes I had packed for the trip. It was just shorts and t-shirts, not much of a choice and definitely no makeup. Rhys had already seen me sweaty and still thought I was attractive so confidence would be my best outfit. I changed into a fresh shirt with fewer paint stains and tied my hoodie around my waist. Hopefully, it won’t be too cool tonight.

From the car, I grabbed tonight’s dinner of ground beef stew with prechopped veggies, fresh fruit salad and French bread that could be wrapped in foil and left to heat on the stove. Ray had appeared when I was in the tent and already started up his grill.

I dumped my stuff on our slowly drying table and turned to start up my grill.

“Hey Ray, hell of a thunderstorm, huh?”

“Yup, just glad I was in the office already when it came through. I got to talk to Mor and Amren about that swimming hole. They weren’t too excited at first, but I assured them that I know some good people who would be willing to invest, and I would love to design it pro bono. Amren is scary so I didn’t dare lie to her about anything, she could sniff out blood a mile away if she wanted to,” he chuckled.

“Oh, was that the short woman with the black hair you were talking to?”

“Yep, she and Rhys are the main people who keep the park running. Even though it’s national land, they mostly take care of it. Rhys keeps all the campers, hikers and environment safe while Amren handles the logistics of it all.”  
I nodded along, listening to his plans and what he wants to put whereas I got the stew mixed and warming in the pot and wrapped up the bread. It would be at least an hour until everything was ready, so I got to draw more while Ray went on.

“And how was your day?” he asked.

“Good! Really good, Elain and Kevin led the way to the Starfalls, they were truly beautiful. I stayed behind to draw the valley while they went on. I hope they’ll be back soon, I feel bad leaving them behind when the storm came through,” I flipped to the page to show Ray the rendering of the valley I had yet to finish. He murmured his appreciation and studied it.

“Truly amazing, Feyre. I hope you get a gallery all to yourself someday.”

I blushed at his praise, I hoped so too.

“And what do you mean left them behind?”

“Oh, umm,” I had made a mistake. “Rhys was with me when the storm had come up. He may have given me a ride back to the office.”

“Uh-huh,” Ray hummed with a humorous glint.

“And he may have asked me to go stargazing with him tonight.”

“UH HUH,” he said, his lips bursting into a full-blown smile. “I thought I saw something between the two of you last night. So tell me more…” his grill now forgotten about.

“Nope, nope, no, I don’t need this from you right now, I’m already nervous enough,” I backpedaled, there was no way I was going to pick over every detail with Ray.

“Awww come on, I never get any good gossip around my coworkers, they’re all a bunch of nerds with no life!” Ray pleaded, giving me big, brown, puppy dog eyes.

I almost gave in, there was no way I was going to spill every detail with my sisters, they would just tease me too much or tell me not to go with a guy I just met.

“No, I can’t,” he looked so disappointed I nearly gave in again, “Maybe tomorrow morning at breakfast, how about that? I want it to go well first.”

“Ok, fine, I’ll have to accept that,” he pouted, sulking surprisingly well for a full-grown man.

I laughed at his disappointment, some of the nerves disappearing at his display.

We chatted more about our days until Nesta, Elain and Kevin finally showed up.

Azriel had checked on Elain and Kevin, they were fine, just a bit wet but thankfully the trees and a well-placed awning on the trail kept them dry. Nesta was a bit luckier and an outcropping of rocks kept her out of the rainstorm.

More conversation flowed as the night set in and dinner was eaten. I kept shooting glances at the entrance of our campsite and listening to the familiar pounding of hooves. Thankfully, only Ray noticed my distraction and gave me conspirator winks.

Too soon or maybe not soon enough gravel crunched, indicating the arrival of Rhys and Mona. He appeared into our circle of light. Rhys had changed out of his ranger uniform to dark pants and boots, with a navy three-quarter sleeve shirt that was cut to show off the underlying muscles that I had felt earlier. His hair was casually mussed up, making him look younger than when he is in his uniform. Mona had a pack strapped to her saddle.

Rhys grinned when he saw me, I returned the smile, ignoring the questioning looks from my sisters and Kevin. Ray looked like he was just about ready to burst out of his skin with giddiness.

“Ready?” he asked me.

“Yep. Can y’all handle clean up tonight?” I asked my sisters. The mutely nodded yes, still unable to find words to respond to Rhys’s sudden appearance.

I turned back to him and took his offered hand. It felt so natural to slip mine into his, like it was an everyday occurrence. He led the way back down the path and to the trailhead. The very last of the light was fading fast and more and more stars broke through. I thought that the sky at the end of the day looked just like his eyes, endless blue and perfect.

The moon was full and provided light to show the ghostly path, but I could see a massive flashlight strapped to the front of the saddle in easy reach.

“I’ll hop up first and then pull you up, similar to what we did earlier today.”

“Sounds good.”

He swung up into the saddle, the motion easy and fluid. Mona stood still at perfect attention. I firmly gripped his hand and put my foot into the open stirrup. A good hop off the ground and his arm had me situated behind him in no time, the strapped-on pack acting as an extra seat. I hooked my legs around his like I did earlier, and we set off down the path.

The night was a bit cooler than I expected from the rain, but he and Mona radiated heat. I told him about the others and how they avoided the rain today, and he told me how flustered Az was when he was asked to check on Elain. We laughed at the two’s painful shyness and secretly plotted in own our heads on how to get the two to talk more. He told me of how Cas was actually the one to point Nesta to the rocks that kept her dry and I made a mental note to question her about it on the way home tomorrow.

The trail sloped gently upwards, smooth and well-kept; no doubt part of what Rhys did to keep the park beautiful. I caught glimpses of the stars between the trees and soon we climbed high enough to where we broke out of the tree.

I gasped as the whole valley laid out in front of my, framed by the wide, night sky sparkling with millions of stars. We were so far from any light pollution that I could even see the faintest beginnings of galaxy dust weaving through the stars.

“You like it?” he asked, his voice husky and barely above a whisper.

“I can’t even begin to look at it all. I could spend years just taking in every constellation,” I whispered back.

He gave a low chuckle at my amazement. “Trust me, I’ve tried and I’m still finding new shapes up there.”

We continued to climb, the moon even brighter up here that Mona had no trouble sticking to the path. I thought that I would be more scared to trust my life to an animal, but she was steady and sure in every step.

Rhys stopped her at the top of the hill, “Here we are.”

He slipped down first and turned to help me. I balanced on the pack and swung my leg forward, careful not to hit Mona on the head. Before I was ready to dismount, I started to lean too much to my left.

Rhys saw that I was about to eat shit off his horse and reached to catch me. His right arm ended up around my shoulders and his left supported my knees.

To my eternal gratefulness and embarrassment, he only let out a small “oof” and barely even stumbled, like he caught girls falling off his horse every other day.

“Well, well, well, falling for me already, darling?” his voice brushed across my ear. I couldn’t suppress the small shiver that ran down my spine.

“Maybe,” I shot back, doing nothing to squirm out of his embrace.

He hummed his amusement and gently lowered my legs to the ground, making sure I was steady. His arm around my shoulders was slow to leave and I missed his warmth as soon as he removed it.

He moved to undo the pack from the saddle while I took in our surroundings. We were on top of one of the highest points in the park, the mountains flowing away into the distance to our right. The river and meadow from earlier were laid out in the distance, the Starfall flowers glowing white in the dim light.

There were so many of them, it looked like the whole meadow was made of moon rock, perfectly white and smooth with shadows acting as the craters. I couldn’t bring myself to look away, even when Rhys’s heat appeared at my back.

His head hooked over my shoulder, his temple resting against mine. “The Starfalls are gorgeous in the daytime, but they’re really meant to be seen at night. Not a lot of people know that.”

I had no answer for him, the beauty of the night had taken away any speech.

Then, a bit quietly, “This is my favorite spot in the park, I like to come up here alone when it’s been a long day or a particularly frustrating one. The stars always seem to know how to relax me.”

I leaned back into his frame, simply enjoying him and his warmth and the world around us. We stayed like that for a few minutes, breathing in the night air.

“This way,” he entwined our hands again, taking me to the far edge of the hill. Mona gave us the side-eye and decided to continue grazing where she was.

There was a flat expanse of rock that dropped maybe 20 feet below to where the hill flowed down into the valley. It was still warm with the days’ heat, even the rain wasn’t able to wash it away.

Rhys unfurled the pack and laid out a thick blanket, a camping pillow expanding back into its normal size.

“There’s no alcohol allowed in the park, but I did bring M&Ms and water,” he said a bit sheepishly.

I joined him on the blanket and popped some of the chocolate into my mouth, “I love M&Ms,” crunching down on them.

I could see his smile glow in the dark, almost tempting me forward. He followed suit and started to munch on the sweets with me. We sat crisscross, his shoulder pressed into mine, already becoming familiar and easy.

It was just so easy to sit there in the quiet and listen to the sounds of animals settling in for the night and the nocturnals come out.

“So, what’s your favorite constellation?” I asked him.

“Oh man, I’m going to sound really basic but it’s Orion.”

I hummed to encourage him to continue.

“When I lived in the city, you can’t really see any stars there,” a glance at me, “you know, of course.” I nodded.

“I was really obsessed with space when I was little but unable to see many constellations but Orion’s belt is super bright, so yeah, I was always able to look up and pick it out of the sky and then find Betelgeuse…” he trailed off, lost in the memories of old.

“It’s one of my favorites too,” I said softly, leaning into him more.

“What’s your absolute favorite then?”

“The swan, Cygnus. As a child, I was absolutely obsessed with Barbie Swan Lake. When I got older and listened to more classical music when I studied, Tchaikovsky was my go-to. All of his works are beautiful, but Swan Lake broke my heart every time.”

“If not for the Barbie part, you would have beat me with deepness,” he teased.

“Shut up!” I shoved his shoulder away with mine.

His laughter rang out across the valley, filling every crevasse with light and happiness even in the dark. I laughed right along with him, our shoulders shaking with renewed fits.

Eventually, we died down, occasional giggles escaping our chests. His eyes glinted in the moonlight, the silver flecks shining, making it seem like the universe was trapped in his irises. He captured my gaze, they dipped down to my lips that were still wrapped around a chuckle. I noticed his attention and the giddiness died down.

We were so close now, our warm breath tinged with chocolate mingling in the cool night air. I shivered, goosebumps raising on my exposed legs.

His violet eyes took in my every move, flitting around my face like he was trying to memorize every detail. As he watched me, I watched him. Taking in the exact shape of his slightly parted mouth and how the moonlight played along the edge of his high cheekbones.

I angled my head towards his, my eyelids dropping in a silent request. A small puff of a laugh greeted my lips before he closed the last amount of space between us.

Electricity shot down my body, urging me to bury my hands into his soft hair, the air suddenly trapped in my chest. To return the favor, he encircled one arm around my waist, his other hand grasping the back of my neck.

He swallowed my gasp, his lips bruising into mine. Not to be outdone, I leaned back and pulled him onto me. He followed me down, pressing me into the blanket and rock below, trying to close every single gap between us. His lips moved to my neck, nipping a trail up and down.

I groaned, arching into him, begging him to not stop. I could feel his grin against my neck, enjoying my request.

He found his way back to my mouth, taking in every sound I emitted. If I was cold before, there was no way I am now with him covering my body. His heat unraveled every thought in my head, his lips banished any rational thinking.

All sensation pinpointed to him and him only. The stars were forgotten as we forged a new universe between us. I nipped at his lip, my tongue traced the sweetened edge of his mouth until he yielded permission.

Deeper, harder, I asked for more and he gave all he could. The sky could have crashed down and we wouldn’t have noticed.

I came up for air, out of breath. I had messed up his hair fair beyond repair, his lips were swollen from my attentions. I’m sure I looked the same, mirror images of each other.

He brushed his mouth against my cheek, tender, sweet, after the wild nature of our kiss.

I released a small laugh, gazing up at him.

He smiled in response, “What?”

“Nothing,” I replied breathlessly, “I’m just happy that it rained today.”

His smile widened.

“Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll probably write an epilogue while I'm less tipsy, happy Friday everyone!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and critiques are greatly appreciated!
> 
> *shameless plug* check out my other works and let me know what you think! I'm still new to the writing game.


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